Cracker-can.



A. L. PLOTNBR.

CRAGKBR CAN.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1910.

1,035,635. Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

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' A. L. PLOTNBR.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

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COLUMBIA Moon?" 60.. WASHINGTON. n. Cw

A. L. PLOTNER.

GRAOKER CAN.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15, 1910.

1,035,635, Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT L. PLOTNER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO PLOTNER CAN COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

CRACKER-CAN.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. PLorNnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Cracker-Cans, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to cracker cans of that type which are open at the side and which are provided with a removable front for closing the open side, which front comprises a fixed section and a swinging or door section. 1 The objects of my invention are to provide a simple and inexpensive means located on the interior of the can for holding the removable front in position, and to provide anovel cover for protecting the front during shipment, and also to otherwise improve the can, all as will be more fully hereinafter described and then pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a can embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the pocket in which the wings of the door section are received; Fig. 3 is a detail View showing one of the fastening devices for connecting the fixed front to the box body; Fig. 4 is a view of a portion of the exterior of the can showing the means for operating this fastening device; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the protective front to be used in protecting the removable front, or in place of the movable front, during shipment; Fig. 6 is a section through one side of the can on the line 0cm Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the movable front removed; Figs. 8 and 9 are detail sectional views showing the locking device for the protective cover.

The can body is shown at 3 and it may be of any suitable or usual construction. It is open at one side and the open side is adapted to be closed by a removable front which is herein shown as comprising the fixed section 4 and the door section 5, said door section being hinged to the fixed section at 6. The fixed section is provided with the flange 7 which enters and frictionally engages the inner walls of the can body; and I will preferably form said flange by bending the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 15, 1910.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

Serial No. 582,130.

material of the fixed section back on itself to form the edge portion 24 that overlies the edge of the can body and then bending said material laterally to form the said flange. To lock the fixed section in place, I have provided it with two upwardly-extending fingers 8, one at either side thereof which are adapted to engage shoulders or projections 9 formed on the can body, and have also provided said fixed section with a loop 10 which is adapted to be en aged by a hook 11 secured to the bottom of the can body. In putting the removable front in place, the fingers 8 are first inserted behind the shoulders 9 and then the lower edge of the fixed section is swung inwardly until the loop 10 is in position to be engaged by the hook 11. The door section 5 is provided with a flange 12 which is adapted to enter and have frictional engagement with the interior of the can body when said door is closed, and is also provided with side wings 13 to prevent the contents of the can from spilling out when the door is opened. The body of the can is provided with pockets 14: that open at the front thereof and in which the wings 13 play, said pockets serving to protect the wings from engagement with the contents of the can.

Each wing has a projection 15 at its lower outer corner which is adapted to engage a stop 16 formed in the upper edge of the pocket for limiting the opening movement of the door. This arrangement of pockets and wings forms no part of the present invention, as it is described and claimed in my Patent No. 947,498, January 25, 1910. The wings 13 and flange 12 may be formed in any suitable way, but I prefer to form them by bending up integral portions of the materialof the door section. As shown in Fig. 1 the flange 12 is made by first bending the material of the door section back on itself to form the extension 26 that is adapted to lie against the edge of the can body when the door is closed, and then bending said material outwardly to form the flange 12, said flange being thus situated a slight distance from the edge. The wings 13 are also preferably made by bending up integral portions of the material of the door section in such a way as to form an extension 26.

The shoulders 9 against which the fingers 8 engage may be formed in any suitable way, and as one convenient inexpensive construction, I form them by making slots or openings 16 in the bottom of the pockets 14 through which slots or openings the fingers 8 extend, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and the front edge of which slots constitutes the shoulders 9. My invention, however, is not limited to this manner of making the shoulders.

To provide for operating the hook 11 from the exterior of the can, I have rigidly secured said hook to the shank 17 of a but ton 18 that is mounted to turn in the bottom of the can and have provided the button The fixed section 4: of the front is preferably provided with an opening which is closed by a glass 21 so that the contents of the can may be seen, and this glass is held in place by a lip 27 formed by bending up the edge of the material forming the flange 7 The fingers 8 may conveniently be formed by striking up a properly-shaped section of the lip 27 as clearly seen in Fig. 7. In this way the fixed section 4 together with its extension 24:, flange 7, lip 27 and fingers 8 may be made from a single sheet of metal of theproper shape. I have also provided a protective cover shown at 22 which is adapted to be slipped over the removable front to protect the glass or if desired may be sub stituted for the removable front during shipment. This protective cover is made of sheet metal and is provided with the curled edges or wings 220 at opposite sides and the flange or curled edge 23 at the top, and it may be slipped over the wired edge 29 at the open side of the can after the front has been removed thereby closing the can, as seen in Fig. 5; or it may be slipped over the removable front as desired. In either instance, the protective cover closes the front and makes a package which can be readily shipped without danger either to the contents or to the glass and the wired edge 29 constitutes guiding ribs to receive the wings 220. When the can is in use this protective cover can be merely slipped on the back of the can, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, in which position it is entirely out of the way, the back of the can having suit-able guiding ribs 79 to receive and hold the cover.

In order to lock the protective cover in place during shipment of the can, I have provided it with a loop 31 which is adapted to be engaged by the hook 11 as seen in Fig. 9. In order that said loop may not interfere with the removal of the cover or its application to the can body, I have so constructed it that it may be withdrawn from the inner face of the cover while it is passing over the upper edge of the can, and while this end might be accomplished in various ways I have herein illustrated a construction in which the loop 31 is separate from the cover 22, and is secured in place by passing through the two slots 32 therein. lVith this construction theloop 31 will simply be re tracted as shown in Fig. 8, when the cover is being applied to or removed from the can body, and will not form an obstruction which is likely to catch on the upper edge of the can body.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a cracker can, the combination with a can body having an open side and provided with a shoulder on its interior at one side, of a removable front in said open side and comprising a fixed section and a door v section hinged thereto, said fixed section having a rigid upwardlydirected finger adapted to be inserted behind said shoulder by a movement of the fixed section in a direction of the finger thereby to hold the fixed section in place.

2. In a cracker can, the combination with a body open at its side, of a removable front to close the open side and comprising a fixed section and a door section hinged thereto,

rigid fingers extending upwardly from the upper portion of the fixed section, said can body being formed with the shoulders be: hind which said fingers may be inserted from beneath, and a catch on the interior of the can to engage the lower edge of the fixed section.

3. In a cracker can, the combination with a body open at its side, of a removable front to close the open side and comprising a fixed section and a door section hinged thereto, fingers extending upwardly from the upper portion of the fixed section, said can body being formed with shoulders to engage said fingers, a catch on the interior of the can to engage the lower edge of the fixed section, and means to operate the catch from the exterior of the can.

4. In a cracker can, the combination with a can body open at one side and provided with a pocket on each side, of a removable front for closing said open side, said front comprising a fixed section and a door section hinged thereto, the latter having wings which play in said pockets, each pocket having an aperture in its bottom, and fingers extending upwardly from the fixed section and entering said apertures.

5. In a cracker can, the combination with a can body open at one side and provided with a pocket on each side, of a removable front for closing said open side, said front comprising a fixed section and a door section hinged thereto, the latter having wings which play in said pockets, each pocket having an aperture in its bottom, fingers extending upwardly from the fixed section and entering said apertures, and a catch within the can to engage the lower edge of the fixed section.

6. In a cracker can, the combination with a can body open at one side and provided with a pocket on each side, of a removable front for closing said open side, said front comprising a fixed section and a door section hinged thereto, the latter having wings which play in said pockets, each pocket having an aperture in its bottom, fingers extending upwardly from the fixed section and entering said apertures, a catch within the can to engage the lower edge of the fixed section, and means on the exterior of the can for operating said catch.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT L. PLOTNER.

WVitnesses LOUIS C. SMITH, THOMAS J. DRUMMOND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

